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Here’s the annual better-late-than-never accounting of former Duluth East hockey players who played post-high school hockey this past season. Stats come from EliteProspects. Asterisks denote early departures.

Zack Fitzgerald (’04 D)* The
longest-tenured ex-Greyhound, now 34, continued his career with a fifth season
in England, this time with the Glasgow Clan. The longtime enforcer put up 17
points, his highest total of his professional career, which began in 2005-2006.
His 178 penalty minutes, while still basically double anyone else on the team,
was his lowest ever total as well. The legend lives on for Fitzgerald, whose nephew,
Jack Fitzgerald, graduated from East this past spring.

Cade Fairchild (’07 D)* Fairchild
returned to the Russian KHL, his first overseas destination, but only stuck for
six games with Riga this past season. He then took his services to KalPa in Finland,
where he was reasonably productive. Now 30, the former fourth-round pick has
now spent five seasons on the European circuit.

Derek Forbort (’10 D)* The
former first-round pick completed his third full season in the NHL and
continued to log steady numbers despite his Kings team finishing in the cellar.
He’s now successfully established himself as an NHLer.

Andy Welinski (’11 D)* In other former East defensemen now plying their trade
in Southern California, Welinski split his season evenly between the Anaheim Ducks
and the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. He had four points with the big club, including his
first NHL goal, and 19 in 27 games with the Gulls. He also had a productive
postseason run for the Gulls, with 10 points in 16 games as they made it to the
semifinals of the playoffs for the Calder Cup.

Dom Toninato (’12 F) Like
Welinski, Toninato collected his first NHL goal, though he played just two
games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2018-2019. He spent most of his season with
the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, where he put up a workmanlike 29 points in 57
games. He’s now moved on to the Florida Panthers’ system for 2019-2020.

Jake Randolph (’12 F) Randolph’s
first year out of college took him to Jacksonville of the ECHL, where he put together
his usual collection of assists and a 20-point season. He’ll now follow in the
tradition of Hound headed across the pond and is slated to play in Sweden this
coming season.

Trevor Olson (’12 F) Randolph
and Toninato’s former linemate also went to the ECHL for his first full season
of professional hockey, and put together a strong 32-point season for the
Orlando Solar Bears. He’ll be back with them in 2019-2020.

Meirs Moore (’13 D) Moore wrapped
up his four-year tenure at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York with a
four-point effort. He never put up the big points in college like he did in
high school, but put together a strong enough career to get a shot in the ECHL
with South Carolina this coming season.

Conner Valesano (’13 F)*
Valesano’s junior campaign at D-III UW-Stout saw him collect a respectable 16
points, which was good for third on his team. He’ll wrap up his college career this
coming year.

Alex Toscano (’13 F) Toscano,
another of the many Hounds who have made their way to Menomonie, Wisconsin at
Stout in recent years, had 11 points in his junior year, his highest total to
date. He also dramatically reduced his penalty minutes.

Hogan Davidson (’13 F) The
Hounds’ old agitator had another strong season at D-III Nichols College in Massachusetts,
where he finished tied for second on his team with 18 points. He’s got his
senior season ahead of him.

Phil Beaulieu (’14 D) A year
after he led all NCAA Division-I defensemen in scoring, Beaulieu was right
there again with a strong campaign for Northern Michigan. He logged 35 points
in 38 games for the Wildcats, and now heads into his senior year.

Alex Trapp (’14 D) Trapp’s
junior season at St. Thomas was his best to date, as he settled into a regular
role and collected 10 points from the blue line. He even put in a bit of time at
forward, demonstrating his longstanding versatility.

Nick Altmann (’15 F) Altmann
had a quality freshman season for D-III Williams College in Massachusetts, as
he finished fifth on his team in scoring with 14 points.

Ash Altmann (’16 F) The younger
Altmann brother wrapped up a three-year run with the Minnesota Wilderness with
a 14-point effort. He’ll join the D-III ranks this coming winter as he heads to
St. Olaf.

Luke Dow (’16 F) Dow
had a strong third season with the Wilderness, where he amassed 38 points and
wrapped up his tenure as the NAHL club’s all-time leading scorer.

Shay Donovan (’16 D) Patience
paid off for Donovan, who will be joining his younger brother at Wisconsin this
fall. The steady defenseman wrapped up his 3-year NAHL campaign with a solid
16-point campaign for Scranton-Wilkes Barre, and will now add his name to the
Hounds’ D-I ranks.

Alex Spencer (’16 D) The
Hounds’ big man began his collegiate career by appearing in five games for Wisconsin-Superior.

Reid Hill (’17 D) Hill
appeared in just one NAHL game this past season, though he did collect an
assist in that appearance with Janesville. He has now made his way to the
University of St. Thomas.

Garrett Worth (’18 F) Worth’s post-college
debut did not go according to plan, as he failed to stick in the USHL and
wandered among three different BCHL teams over the course of the season. There’s
too much talent here to waste, though, and he’ll get a crack with Des Moines of
the USHL this coming season.

Luke LaMaster (’18 D) The Hounds’ second 2018 Mr.
Hockey finalist also had a lost season, though in his case, it was entirely due
to injury. The Badger recruit will join Sioux City’s USHL squad for 2019-2020.

Ian Mageau (’18 F) Worth’s compatriot on
the Hounds’ top line in 2018 put up 16 points with Austin in the NAHL, and
rather than labor on in junior hockey, he’s chosen to head to St. Thomas for
the next stage of his hockey life.

Austin Jouppi (’18 F) Perhaps surprisingly, the most impressive post-high school performance from a Class of 2018 Greyhound came from Jouppi, who carried his torrid finish to his high school career through into an impressive 41-point season with Bismarck of the NAHL. His performance earned plenty of accolades, and he’s played his way into a 30-man roster spot with Des Moines of the USHL this coming season, where he could play alongside three former East teammates: Worth, 2019 grad Hunter Paine, and early departure Logan Anderson.

Nick Lanigan (’18 F) Never a big scorer in
high school, Lanigan scrapped his way to a very respectable 17-point season
with the Magicians of the NAHL.

Will Fisher (’18 D) Fisher bounced around a
bit in his first year of high school, as he played 16 games with Bismarck in
the NAHL, followed by two with New Jersey and then a six-game stint with the
Boston Junior Rangers of the Tier III Eastern Hockey League.

Porter Haney (’18 F) Haney, a part-timer on
the 2018 Hounds runner-up squad, put up 31 points with the Rochester Grizzlies
of the NA3HL.

Dropping from the list this past season: Jack Forbort (2
years at UW-Stout). Expect plenty of additions to this list next season as well.